Best Phones of 2018 So Far

Time waits for no smartphone manufacturer. With each passing year the screens get sharper the feature lists get longer and the aesthetics get slicker. And what a year 2018 has been so far. So much so that we can’t even wait until the end of it for a round-up of the best and brightest models. As Apple prepare to release their newly announced model it seems like the perfect time to reflect on what has come do far. Here’s where we’re at when it comes to the models of the moment in 2018. SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 9 First on our list is the Galaxy Note 9. After just a few short months on the market this handset has helped Samsung demonstrate its position as king of the smartphone realm once more (in no uncertain terms). It boasts all the stuff that Galaxy fans love – including water resistance fast wireless charging a stunning Super AMOLED screen expandable microSD storage and a 3.5mm headset jack. Yet there are also quite a few features of note that are brand new – such as a model with 1 whole terabyte of storage a Bluetooth S Pen a huge 4000 mAh battery improved dual rear cameras with software intelligence enhanced audio capability and a new more natural position for the rear fingerprint scanner.

APPLE IPHONE X

Who’d have thought that the Apple iPhone X along with its £1000 price tag could take off in the way it has? Yet here we are and it has to be said that the iPhone X packs a serious punch. There’s quite a few firsts – it presents the first entirely fresh design of an iPhone since the iPhone 1 and it also showcases a Samsung OLED panel. It’s button-free is powered by a brand-new A11 bionic chip and uses facial recognition for Apple Pay. The X also boasts a IP67 dust- and water-resistant rating; and finally the front camera has 7 whole megapixels.

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 8

Before the iPhone X landed in dramatic style on the market the Note 8 was the most advanced handset around. And despite us singing the Note 9’s praise the Note 8 remains a great contender for your attention as its Snapdragon 835 processor and dual mechanical aperture camera now comes at a lower price point given the Note 9 superseding it. The original S Pen is also perfect for those who use a stylus with their smartphone.

HUAWEI P20 PRO

OK we admit it – we were like many truly taken aback by the Huawei P20 Pro and it has rightly earned a title as one of the most exciting smartphones of 2018. The Huawei P20 Pro brings to market a totally unique camera – with an almost impossible to believe 68 megapixels. So if you want the most fabulous low light pics possible the P20 is the one to choose. It also offers the same incredibly battery life that P20’s are known for and presents an expansive 6.1 inch OLED display. Finally the P20 matches Apple’s IP67 dust and water resistance.

Motorola Moto G6

First things first - the Motorola Moto G6 is incredibly affordable. In fact it’s tough to believe that you can get a smartphone of this quality for such a meagre price. The Motorola Moto G6 offers Android Oreo solid dual-rear cameras super-fast charging and a sleek design.

LG V30

Coming in at a price point significantly under the iPhone X and the Note 9 the LG V30 is a sparkling alternative. It also offers many of the same features albeit at slightly lower specs… so that’s a great camera fast processor huge OLED screen excellent battery life waterproofing wireless charging microSD storage and the best headphone jack on any phone on the market.

ONEPLUS 6

Another excellent mid-price level smartphone the Oneplus 6 is created from two separate pieces of Gorilla Glass 5 encased in an understated metal frame. It’s looks good and the manufacturing quality is exceptional. With an AMOLED 6.28 inch display Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor dual rear cameras plentiful RAM and internal storage options some resistance to dust and water a 3300 mAh battery and quick charge capability the Oneplus 6 is yet another model worth consideration.

APPLE IPHONE 8/8 PLUS

Like the Note 8 the Apple iPhone 8 certainly deserves its place on this list. While it looked pretty much like the iPhone 7/7Plus it set a first for Apple – wireless charging as well as offering faster charging which means that the handset charges to 50% in just 30 minutes. It also features a speedier processor better camera and improved LCD display.

HTC U12+

We’ve come to expect great things from HTC particularly in the style department – and the HTC U12+ doesn’t disappoint. Its translucent blue back gradual curves and vivid colours all make this another big tick for the smartphone underdogs. However the real stars of the U12+ are the remarkable camera and the fantastic audio quality.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S9/S9 PLUS

The Samsung Galaxy 9 continues Samsung’s nonstop push forward in the market – something that has put Apple under pressure almost from the get-go. The Infinity Display of the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus as ever proved and continues to prove a hit with consumers with the remaining list of enviable features including… 6GB of RAM; the fastest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 mobile processor; two rear dual cameras (one with super slow-motion support – but in the S9 Plus only); the option to add microSD cards; advanced Bixby assistant; Samsung Pay technology; fast wireless charging and IP68 dust and water resistance.

GOOGLE PIXEL 2 XL AND PIXEL 2

The Google Pixel 2 Xl and Pixel 2 are mostly worth buying because Google has designed these specifically for Android – something that no other smartphone brand could come close to. The Google Pixel 2 XL boasts a huge 6-inch 18:9 display 4GB of RAM 64GB and 128GB integrated storage single rear 12-megapixel camera IP67 dust and water resistance a 3520 mAh battery and dual front stereo speakers. The more compact Pixel 2 features a 5-inch display and smaller battery with the remaining specs being identical to the XL model.